CITY POLICE New sex charges probed

Tuesday

Dec 15, 1992 at 12:01 AM

The Spartanburg police department has launched an internal investigation involving sexual improprieties, but the new probe is not directly related to a prostitution investigation that ended recently, City Manager Wayne Bowers said Monday. "These are totally independent investigations of individual officers, " Bowers said. Neither Bowers nor police Chief W.C. Bain Jr. would be specific about allegations against the officers. But Bowers did say the investigation affects only a small number of officers. "But it's not from written reports within the SLED (State Law Enforcement Division) report," Bowers said, referring to a report received earlier this year stating that several officers received sexual favors from prostitutes. Bowers said any reprimands or criminal action taken in response to the SLED report had been completed and that the new investigations were independent. City officials last month issued seven verbal or written reprimands against officers involved in the SLED allegations. In July, Sgt. Steve McNeely, who has been reinstated, and former Sgt. David Bagwell, who resigned, were indicted on charges of obstruction of justice, official misconduct and prostitution in connection with the SLED report. They were accused of improperly dismissing a prostitution charge against convicted madam Faye Black after she threatened to expose them for having sex with prostitutes. When the case went to court in October, the judge ruled Bagwell's and McNeely's statements inadmissable, and the men were acquitted of all charges after a three-day trial. On Monday, Bowers said he would not comment on whether officers under investigation now are the some of the same men implicated in the SLED report. Bowers said that the newest investigations were either the result of complaints lodged against an officer or information obtained from outside sources. "It's serious," Bowers said. "And it's particularly serious for anyone if they were involved in the last go-around with the SLED investigation." Bain said further reprimands could be issued against officers. Spartanburg City Council members voiced surprise and confusion Monday over news that more internal investigations had been launched within the police department. "I'm absolutely flabbergasted," Councilman Marshall "Pot" Lindsay said. "I swear I do not understand what's going on up there. They are not keeping elected officials posted, and I damn well don't like it." Councilman Gerald Richardson agreed, saying he thought all investigations had ceased after Bagwell and McNeely were acquitted and seven officers received verbal or written reprimands. "If it keeps going like this, maybe they need to clean up the whole police department," Richardson said. "I hate to say that, but maybe they need a whole new department. I commend Bain, but it sounds like an internal problem and he needs to take care of it." Bain said Monday that he considered the new investigations to be a spinoff from the SLED probe. But neither he nor Bowers said they felt they could keep City Council abreast of each new investigation the department takes part in. "There are too many going on," Bowers said. "If we have a large probe, like we did when SLED came in, then I'll inform them, but not for every complaint we get." Original Atex file name: NEWPRO.BE1